1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus, more specifically, to a technique to be employed while an operating condition is set.
2. Description of Related Art
An image forming apparatus such as a multifunction machine has various functions including a copying function, a facsimile transmitting function, a scanning function, a printing function, and an image transmitting function, for example. The image forming apparatus permits setting an operating condition about each function. For example, the image forming apparatus permits setting a plurality of operating conditions about such as a copying density, a copying magnification, a copy count, and a sheet size about the copying function.
Such an operating condition is set on a setting screen displayed on a touch display panel, for example. More specifically, an icon prepared for each settable operating condition is displayed on the setting screen. If any icon is selected on the setting screen, a detailed setting screen for an operating condition corresponding to the selected icon is displayed and the operating condition is set on the detailed setting screen.
Development having made in recent years for higher performance of an image forming apparatus results in a tendency toward a larger number of operating conditions settable about each function such as a copying function. This makes it possible to set operating conditions in detail. This in turn produces a situation where an icon corresponding to an operating condition to be set with high frequency by a user and an icon corresponding to an operating condition to be set with low frequency by the user are displayed together on a setting screen. Hence, increase in the number of settable operating conditions makes operation on the setting screen troublesome, causing the problem of reduced operability.
According to a technique having been suggested to handle this problem, only an icon corresponding to an operating condition of high setting frequency can be displayed on a touch display panel, etc., as a simple setting screen separately from a normal setting screen on which all icons are displayed (see Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 2007-181993, for example).
According to the aforementioned technique, however, if there arises a need to set an operating condition (operating condition of low setting frequency) that cannot be set on the simple setting screen after or while an operating condition is set on the simple setting screen, a user is required to return to the normal setting screen and is forced to perform troublesome operation. Specifically, when the user returns to the normal setting screen, each setting of an operating condition having been set on the simple setting screen is reset to force the user to set the operating condition again on the normal setting screen. Hence, high operability has not yet been achieved by the aforementioned suggested technique.